Surprise!
by Hannah Lynn McDonald
Summary: 254 B.C. - scene from Adam's childhood. Ætius goes birthday shopping with a friend.


_254 B.C._

* * *

"No. No. No. No. No, and absolutely not."

The other man just grinned. "It'll be fun!"

"No! It won't! It's a terrible idea!"

"How would you know - have you tried it?"

"Have _you_? It's hardly promising."

"It's just a party! She'll love it." He bent over and frowned at the jar of blood sitting on the vendor's table. "What is this for?" He straightened and picked it up, turning the jar over and watching the thick liquid roll within. "If they hurt themselves? Sacrifice? Why isn't there - give it back!"

He snatched the jar from his friend's hands and set it firmly down on the table. "It's makeup. You're not getting it. Will you _think_ about this?" He spun to follow as the taller man folded his hands behind him and continued wandering through the market. "Cetus!"

"Ætius, we'll be fine. she'll have fun."

"She will kill us."

"No, she won't."

He matched step with his friend, looking at him in disbelief. "You do recall the prank you set up when you ambushed her that night - correct? Oh, no, you don't; because _I_ was closest to her and you ducked!"

"I couldn't know her first reaction is to fight!"

"All her siblings are older brothers and she lived in the country - _what else did you expect_?"

He stopped, lightly lifting a delicate red necklace. He ran a finger gently over the strings, and then lifted it to try it up against Ætius, grinning as his friend glared at him. "I think it will look nice, don't you?"

"Yes. Let's give her a garotte. Perfect."

He ignored the younger, turning and purchasing the piece of jewelry from the vendor. "Here's the second part of my gift-"

"Second? Prithee, what was the _first_?"

"The celebration! What are you getting her?"

He covered his face with his hands for a moment, muttering something.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

He lowered his hands with a sigh. "I was praying patience and forgiveness."

He wrapped an arm around the shorter's neck, pulling him close. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

He struggled for a moment, breaking free when he elbowed the other in the ribs. "It died an early, avoidable death when you dragged me off a roof in the belief that we would fly like Daedalus and Icarus."

He didn't answer, instead stepping forward with his arms open to greet another. The man stepped back quickly, but the girl was too slow and was wrapped up and swung off the ground. "Ariadne! Greetings! A lovely day! Will you come to the celebration!" He let her go and turned to her companion. "And Iovannis - you wound me."

He stared at the eldest of the four. "The last time I nearly passed out. I will -" He tried to duck away when the man lunged to hug him and froze in exasperation when he was unable to avoid him. "Ætius. He is of your bringing - contain him."

The shorter shook his head, looking down at his friend that had almost fallen in lunging. "Anicetus. You will stain your toga and you told me you would wear none other tonight."

He jumped up and brushed and the folds of cloth. When he was certain that none were stained, he looked up again. "Now that we're altogether! Where will we meet?"

"No where. Cetus - perhaps she would like a _nice_ party. A normal one."

He thought about it for a minute. "Yes. Probably."

Iovannis shook his head, reaching into his bag for something. "she...Benedicta sent me a note..." He finally pulled it out, handing it to Cetus. "And she said to tell you that she got herself an early gift and that it is a sharp dagger.

Ætius buried his head in his hands again. "I am _not_ going."

He frowned, reading the note. finally, he sighed. "Very well - her wish is my command." He let his friend relax, and then grinned. "But then I need to finish purchasing her gifts!"

"Normal, Cetus! Normal! Cloth, jewelry, trinkets - not whatever you're thinking!"

He ignored them, setting off through the crowd in the market. The three friends looked at each other in worry, and then hurried after him.

"She is going to kill us..."

* * *

 _AN: I finally got Adam's original life. Adam won't fit into_ Torchwood _because of my headcanons and all, so I did the next best thing given that I won't watch that series anyway: I brought the characters to him. This is before he's Immortal - he's only about fourteen here. Anicetus (who is Harkness, and is called Cetus just because it's funny to me what with meanings and all...) is seventeen; Iovannis (who's Ianto) is sixteen; Ariadne (who's Toshiko because of the scene where Owen dies of radiation) is eleven or twelve here. Benedicta (who's Gwen) is sixteen here and it's her birthday. Ætius is 14 or fifteen. In short, Cetus wants to give her a surprise celebration; but she hates surprises and her first reaction is fight rather than flight. And she's pretty good at it too, thus everyone_ else's _aversion to the idea. I don't know exactly how much of Roman culture works if it's not related to the military, so...My apologies for any mistakes. And I know the speech is wrong for the time - but it's translated from Latin so I decided to show their meaning and personality through the speech rather than the time._

 _And my apologies to anyone who actually watches Torchwood because I just took what of the personalities I could gather from a few music videos. I know nothing of the series, so this is just randomness because I enjoy crossovers immensely._ _11-21-2015_


End file.
